What Can A Rich Man Do?
[By Gerald Gates]
In the book of Ruth (2:1-4:22), we read about a wealthy man of Bethlehem, Boaz. When he went out to his fields for harvest, he addressed his reapers, “The LORD be with you” (Ruth 2:4, NKJV). He was one who respected God and encouraged those who worked for him.
When he noticed a stranger among the women gleaning after the reapers in his field, he inquired of the young man in charge: “Who is this young woman?” He learned that she was the widowed Moabite woman who had come back to Bethlehem with her mother-in law, Naomi, the widow of his close relative Elimelech. She was gleaning to provide for the needs of herself and Naomi. Boaz offered her protection to glean among his servants and made sure she had water for her thirst. Ruth was moved with thanksgiving and humility. Boaz responded to her, ”It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel under whose wing you have taken refuge” (Ruth 2:11-12, NKJV). Boaz noticed and encouraged the good that Ruth was doing.
When it was mealtime he invited her to eat with him and his reapers, making sure she was fed. When she returned to the field to glean, Boaz instructed his reapers to allow her to glean even among the sheaves and to leave some extra to glean. He was looking out for two widows here, Ruth, who was doing a good work, and her mother-in-law, Naomi.
When Ruth returned from reaping with grain and good news, Naomi referred to Boaz, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken his kindness to the living and the dead…This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives” (Ruth 2:20, NKJV). At the end of the harvest, Naomi directed Ruth to ask Boaz to be her kinsman redeemer in the prescribed manner. When Boaz awoke and saw her at the foot of his bed, he asked, “Who are you?” (Ruth 3:7-8, NKJV). Ruth replied, “I am, Ruth, your maidservant“ (v9). And asked of him to take her under his wing as her close relative (kinsman redeemer, according to the law of Moses – Deuteronomy 25:25).
Boaz again shows his respect and care for the young foreign woman in verses 10-13 (NKJV), “Blessed are you of the LORD my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I… …if he will perform the duty of a close relative to you, good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives!” He sent her home to Naomi with an abundant measure of grain with intent to do what was right before the LORD.
That day Boaz went to the gate of Bethlehem. He asked his close relative to sit down with him. He also asked ten elders of the city to sit down with them to witness and settle the matter concerning Naomi and Ruth, their widowed relatives of Elimelech’s family. When his close relative refused to be kinsman redeemer for the family and buy the property of Elimelech, Boaz bought the property and fulfilled his responsibility as kinsman redeemer confirming the agreement according to the custom by taking off his sandal and giving it to his close relative in the presence of the elders. He was an honest man of integrity making sure his relative’s right to Elimelech’s property was offered.
From Ruth 4:9-11 (NKJV), “And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”
And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.”
Boaz set an example for us much like Philippians 2:4 (NKJV), “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” He also practiced respect in getting to know about Ruth and addressing her kindly, although she was a stranger to him, that he may offer what good things God had blessed him with to her. This is an example we can follow, not to judge strangers by appearance, but getting to know them and their stories, before offering the riches of the gospel of Christ to them.
Instructions for the rich are found in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NKJV), “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” We as Christians who are rich can follow Boaz’s example to look after strangers and widows and orphans and one another with the means that we have as men or women (as the virtuous woman Proverbs 31:10-31, like Ruth, Ruth 3:11), encouraging their good behavior and giving thanks to God. We also can uphold what is right before God as Boaz did among his people both privately and publicly, glorifying the LORD God by following his word.
Boaz in carrying out his duty as a kinsman redeemer became one of the fathers in the lineage of our Lord, Jesus Christ from the house of David in Bethlehem. We have yet to know all the ways we may be used to glorify God in our lives, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galations 6:10, NKJV).